1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flip-up seat construction which has at least one seat pan having a fixed seat-back portion, and a bottom portion which is capable of moving between a horizontal seat position and a stand-up position.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 729,947 filed by the same inventor of the present invention discloses a seat construction of which at least one seat pan has a bottom portion and a fixed seat-back portion. However, according to that seat construction, the bottom portion of the seat pan cannot be moved between the horizontal position and the stand-up position.
The flip-up seat construction has been widely used in mass transportation vehicles, such as buses and trains, and in public buildings, such as theaters, and concert halls where many people gather.
In the above-mentioned mass transportation vehicles and public buildings, flip-up seats are used to make more floor area available for passengers or for personnel accommodation, or to make cleaning the floor easier. Also, in recent years, flip-up seats have been used to make more floor area available for wheelchairs as required.
The conventional flip-up seat construction comprises a frame unit that includes a seat-back block which supports a seat-back portion of a seat pan, a bottom block which supports the bottom portion of the seat pan and which is swingably attached to the seat-back block so that the bottom portion of the seat pan can move between the horizontal seat position and the stand-up position. Each of the seat-back block and the bottom block is integrally formed by one member.
In this conventional construction, it is not easy to change the number of seats, the width of the seat construction, and therefore it is not easy to adjust a flip-up seat construction for a particular mass transportation vehicle or a public building.
In addition, any change in the construction requires substantial change to production line.